Reply To: Articles

[hockeygod]

Willie Desjardins could be key component behind Stars' hot start

11:06 PM CST on Wednesday, November 10, 2010

By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News
mheika@dallasnews.com

If you try to get too complicated in defining the role new associate coach Willie Desjardins holds with the Stars, you might miss the point.

Yes, an associate coach is ranked higher than an assistant coach, and Desjardins jumped over the current Stars assistants on the ladder of authority when he was hired in the summer. No, he has never coached at the NHL level before and has done most of his training in junior hockey.

And no, he doesn't run any specific part of the Stars (the way former associate coach Rick Wilson was clearly the head of the defensemen).

That might lead you ask: What's the big deal about the new guy? But again, then you'd miss the beauty of what Desjardins offers to the team.

"You know what he is," Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk said. "He's a great hockey guy. He loves to study the game, he loves to talk about the game, he loves everything about the game. And that's a great guy to have around."

Desjardins, 53, is one of the components Nieuwendyk has been seeking since being named GM in 2009 – and he could be one of the key reasons for the Stars' 8-5-0 start this season. But the former head coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers doesn't see it that way. A low-key guy, Desjardins simply likes to do whatever he can to help in any area he can – and he certainly doesn't want to seem like a guy who needs any credit.

"Honestly, I'm just trying to fit in and find my place, and that's all," said Desjardins, who was added in the summer to a staff that included head coach Marc Crawford and assistant coaches Stu Barnes and Charlie Huddy. "I think we learn every day, and we'll continue to learn. We're all just trying to make this team as good as it can be, and that's what I'm trying to do."

In forming his coaching staff last season, Crawford decided to take a lot of the responsibility. A veteran of more than a 1,000 NHL games as a head coach, Crawford has been in charge of a lot in stops in Colorado, Vancouver and Los Angeles . Of course, he's also worked with such strong assistant coaches as Jacques Martin, Joel Quenneville and Mike Johnston, so it's not like he doesn't know how to delegate duty.

Still, when Desjardins was hired in August, there was a question of how he would fit. Huddy coaches the defensemen, but Crawford picks the pairs during the game. Crawford runs the forwards, and that's typically a must for every head coach.

So where does that leave Desjardins?

Well, officially, he helps on the penalty kill and helps a lot with pre-scouting and opponent preparation. Unofficially, he helps with everything.

"I think he's aptly titled as associate coach, because he is more involved in the overall day-to-day operations and involved in all aspects of the team," Crawford said. "The fact that he has been a head coach before, that really helps me in that he knows what I'm dealing with and maybe what I'm thinking. To have a person who has done that before, who knows what it requires, it's just a good thing for me."

Desjardins has an interesting mix of experiences that seem to mesh well with the Stars. First off, he was a talented offensive forward as a youngster and understands the skill side of the game that the Nieuwendyk administration seems to be embracing.

Second, he has coached in several situations, including at the Canadian collegiate level, in the pro level in Japan and in Canadian major junior hockey. He also served as a coach with Canada's World Junior team in 2009 and 2010.

"He coached me in World Juniors, and he was great. Plus, I had friends in Medicine Hat, and they loved him too," said Stars winger Jamie Benn. "He's a players' coach, he's really calm, and he does a really good job of getting the team to play well together. He believes in you, so you have confidence in him."

Although it was thought Desjardins' lack of interaction with professional athletes might be a detriment, it actually has worked out well for the native of Saskatchewan. His ability to communicate with younger players has been a great addition to a Stars team that is trending young.

"He's great with video and getting the guys to understand what we're doing," Barnes said. "Guys nowadays are so visual that I do think it helps them, especially the younger players. You can tell them, but it only goes so far. But if you show them, you can see that they're getting it."

Crawford said Desjardins will go so far as to show video of drills to players so they're more ready for practice and things can get done more quickly and efficiently.

"He's a detail guy, and that's always been his strength," said Les Jackson, the Stars director of scouting and player development who, along with Western scout Shane Churla, helped make the Stars aware of Desjardins. "Churls has known him forever, and he was the guy who knew the most about him. What he did in Medicine Hat was pretty impressive."

Desjardins took over the Tigers in 2002 and immediately repaired a sinking ship. Medicine Hat had missed the playoffs for five straight seasons before Desjardins' hiring, but the Tigers went 333-182-61 in his time there, made eight consecutive playoff appearances and won two Western Hockey League championships.

In fact, one of the reasons he was given the title of associate coach was because so many teams wanted to talk to him after his work in junior hockey. However, he liked Nieuwendyk and the Stars, and his presence is already being felt.

"I like having him around, just because he's a guy who always wants to talk about hockey and coaching," Nieuwendyk said. "I think you can see already that he sparks conversations and dialogue, and out of that talk come solutions. It might not have always been his idea, but the idea maybe came out because he was there. To me, that's a pretty important thing to have in your coaching staff."

The Willie Desjardins file:

Born: Feb. 11, 1957 in Climax, Saskatchewan

Hired: By Stars as associate coach July 13, 2010

Notable: Played for Lethbridge in the WHL and tallied 61 goals and 79 assists for 140 points in 129 games. … Played at the University of Saskatchewan and was an assistant coach at the University of Calgary. … Coached briefly in Japan and helped the Seibu Bears win a league championship. … Returned to Canada to coach with the national program and took over the Medicine Hat Tigers in 2002. Led Medicine Hat to eight straight playoff appearances and two WHL championships. … Was an assistant coach on the 2009 gold medal World Junior team from Canada and head coach of the 2010 silver medal World Junior team from Canada.
—————-
Not that it makes a lot of difference but Willie was head coach at the U of Calgary for at least 6 years before going to Japan and Tim Bothwell taking over. I was an asst. coach on his staff for 6 years. Willie was supposed to come back after 2 years leave but won the Japan championship and got a big contract and stayed. Tim Bothwell stayed on. What is really sad for the U of Calgary hockey team is that when Tim went to the NHL with Atlanta Willie applied to coach there again and they hired another coach and they program has gone down hill and hasn't won Canada West since the last year I was there in 96. They went about 50 games in a row in one stretch without beating the U of Alberta. They got a new coaching staff last year but so far the same result in the middle of the pack and losing in the first round of playoffs. Willie was a great recruiter as well as great at getting a team ready to compete and those skills will help him in the NHL.
Tom

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."